SOUTHERN ARKANSAS MULERIDERS (7-4, 4-2 GAC)

EAST CENTRAL TIGERS (10-3, 4-1 GAC)

Thursday, January 8 | 7:30 P.M. Kerr Activities Center | Ada, Okla. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO SAU GAME NOTES | ECU GAME NOTES

 

---

SETTING THE STAGE
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team hits the road for the first of their three tours of Oklahoma as they are set to travel to Ada, Okla. to take on East Central tonight and then move on to Weatherford, Okla. to take on Southwestern Okla. on Saturday. Tonight's game will be just SAU's third road game this season and thus far, the Muleriders are 0-2 away from the W.T. Watson Center.
 

---

SCOUTING EAST CENTRAL
The East Central men's basketball team enters play with a 10-3 overall record and are 4-1 in the GAC. The Tigers are currently in the midst of a five-game winning streak with two of those wins coming in GAC play. On the year, the Tigers are 3-2 at home. 

Statistically, the Tigers are averaging 81.5 points per game and are shooting .499 (359-of-719) overall from the floor. Their scoring per game ranks in a tie for first in the GAC while their shooting percentage stands alone as the top mark in the league. Currently three Tigers are averaging double figures in scoring with Stirling Thomas leading the way at 19.8 ppg. Thomas also currently leads the GAC in scoring. Next in scoring is Henry Pwono at 15.8 ppg, the sixth-best in the GAC.

As a team, the Tigers also have the most efficient attack from beyond the arc in the GAC as they are currently shooting .394 (109-of-277) from long range. The Tigers' top outside threat is Thomas as his 39 makes and .453 clip from deep rank in the top-five individually in the GAC.

Defensively, the Tigers are allowing their opponents to score an average of 70.8 points per game while also allowing a .425 (329-of-774) success rate from the floor. Their opponents' points per game average ranks seventh in the GAC, but their +10.6 scoring margin ranks second. In terms of rebounding, the Tigers rank seventh in the GAC with 35.0 boards per game. On the other end of the court, the Tigers are allowing 35.5 boards per game and their -0.5 rebounding margin ranks eighth in the GAC.

As far as steals and assists, the Tigers rank fourth and second in the respective categories. On the year, ECU is averaging 8.1 steals per game while averaging 15.6 assists.

COACH:
The Tigers are coached Ja Havens, who is in his second year at East Central. Last year, Havens led the Tigers to a 15-12 overall record and to their first apperance in the Great American Conference Tournament. The winning season was also the first at ECU since the 2007-08 season. Prior to coming to ECU, Havens was an assistant coach at Drury University for eight years. In his time at Drury, Havens helped lead the Panthers to five Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division Championships and two tournament championships. In his final season at Drury, Havens and the Panthers cut down the nets winning the Division II National Championship.

LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUT:
Last year, the Muleriders and Tigers met twice with both games coming in GAC play. In that season-series, ECU would claim both games as they beat the Muleriders 67-56 in Magnolia and then 82-74 in Ada.

THE SERIES:
This is the 19th meeting all-time between Southern Arkansas and East Central in a series that dates back to the 1930-31 season. Since 2011-12, both teams have played twice a year as members of the Great American Conference. East Central currently holds a 12-6 lead in the all-time series and have 4-2 advantage over the Muleriders in
GAC play.
 

---

YEAR THREE OF THE PROCESS
Head coach Andy Sharpe is now in his third year at SAU and he looks to have his program make another step in the right direction in 2014-15. Last year saw many improvements within the program as the win total increased from the year prior, but also last year saw the Muleriders win their first conference tournament game since the 1999-2000 season. This year, Shapre returns five players from a year ago along with adding nie talented newcomers to the mix.

HOME SWEET HOME
Under the direction of head coach Andy Sharpe, the W.T. Watson Center has been a place where the Muleriders show up to play and expect to win. Since the start of the 2012-13 season (Sharpe's first), the Muleriders are 25-13 overall inside the W.T. Watson Center, including being 7-2 at home this season.

LEARNING TO WIN ON THE ROAD
As the Mulerider basketball program continues to build itself towards becoming a championship-level program, learning to win on the road is the essential next step within the building process. Since Head Coach Andy Sharpe took over at SAU prior to the 2012-13 season, the Muleriders are just 3-22 overall on the road and 2-19 away from the W.T. Watson Center against GAC opponents.

WILLIAMS W/THE "HOT" HAND FROM DEEP
In SAU's game against Texas A&M-Commerce (12/1), Chauncy Williams buried eight three-pointers. The eight makes from long range were the most by a Mulerider since the 2006-07 season when former player Brandon Williams hit eight trifectas as well. So far this season, Williams has made 39 three-pointers in 11 games played (3.5 makes/game), which ranks him first in the GAC in three-point FG made.

GAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Senior guard Chauncy Williams was named the GAC Co-Player of the Week for the week-ending 1-4-15. During that week, Williams averaged 20.5 points per game and was 10-of-23 from long range (.435).

RUNNING THE POINT 
After not starting SAU's opening game, but eventually logging 38 minutes in the overtime loss to Southern Nazarene, junior transfer Jaron Davis has started the last 10 games at point guard for the Muleriders. In those 10 games, the Muleriders are 7-3 and Davis has been a scorer as well as a distributor as he his averaging 13.8 points per game and 3.8 assists in that time.

JORDAN JOINING THE MIX
Junior forward Kevin Jordan has been a welcomed edition to the Muleriders' rotation since becoming eligible at the conclusion of the fall semester. In five games played thus far, Jordan, a 6-10 post presence, has averaged 19.6 minutes per game. In his time on the court, Jordan is averaging 3.8 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game as
well.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?!
Senior forward Alre'k Brown returns after his dominant junior campaign in which he burst onto the scene for the SAU basketball team as he established himself as one of the best big men in the GAC. In that breakout year, Brown would rank in the top-five in the league in Blocked Shots (1st | 2.4 bpg), Field Goal % (3rd | .626), and total Rebounding
(4th | 7.4 rpg) while also ranking 16th in the GAC in scoring with 12.4 ppg. This season, Brown is currently averaging 12.6 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game. His .651 shooting percentage (54-of-83) ranks first on the team and second in the GAC.

MASKED MULERIDER NO LONGER?
In the first minute of the first game of the season, junior transfer Alvin Braddock suffered a broken nose as he went for a rebound. That injury caused Braddock to miss the next two games, but the Kankakee, Ill. native made his return to the Muleriders' starting lineup against Texas A&M-Commerce on December 1 donning a protective mask.
Braddock would wear the mask over the next six games before being cleared to play without it for SAU's most-recent game against Williams Baptist. While wearing the mask, Braddock averaged 7.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.